Tenants scored a major victory on the Assembly Floor late Thursday, as 44 Democrats voted to send SB 290, authored by San Francisco state Senator Mark Leno, to the Governor's desk, to make permanent existing law that requires landlords to give tenants 60 days' notice when terminating a tenancy when the tenant is without fault.

The notice has been in state law for over six years, but the Realtors and landlord groups remain opposed. The 60 days enables tenants to hunt for affordable rentals, keep children in their schools and gives the elderly and disabled more time to find scarce accessible rentals.

If Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoes SB 290, on January 1, 2010, the law would revert back to requiring landlords to provide only a 30 day eviction notice.

The Governor has signed one of the previous 60 day notice bills that included an expiration date. The challenge is to convince him that the 60-day notice has demonstrated its value, the landlord industry has proven no harm, and it should become permanent law.

Contact Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to urge him to sign SB 290 (Leno), which will make permanent existing law that requires landlords to give tenants 60 days' notice when terminating a tenancy when the tenant is without fault.